ATBU Students clinched semi final of 2024 Nigeria Universities Debating Championship.

By Maisaje Mamuda Wakili:

Students of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, have participated in this year’s All Nigeria Universities Debating Championships for the first time.

The students against all odds of first timers reached the semi-finals stage of the competition, a feat not recorded by any first timers in the past.

In a statement signed by the Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the university Zailani Bappah, the championships which was held at the Veritas University in Abuja was participated by over 40 debating teams from Nigerian Universities across the Country with ATBU students being represented by Two debating teams, Two public speakers and one adjudicator.

It said, the debating team was led by the President of the Students Union Government (SUG), Comrade Fahad Abdullahi.

According to the statement, the keenly contested events showcased the talents of the ATBU students who successfully broke the 8-rounds of preliminary debates and Public Speaking to advance into the quater and semi-finals of the strenous events.

It revealed that, one of the public speaking representatives of the University, Jane Mann-Effiong, did not only advance to the semi-final, but earned a position as one of the fifteen top public speakers of the tournament.

The statement added that, those who represented the University in the team A and team B of the competition are Umaru Shekoyemi Gift, Emmanuel John, Florence Ogah Abizun and Khairat Oyiza Abdulrazaq.

The participating teams for the public speaking competition are Jane Mann-Effiong, Gbemisola and Henry Goni Patrick.

Another participant as contained in the statement was, Muhammad Sadik Abubakar who participated as an Adjudicator where he served on the panel of Judges for seven rounds of the entire debates.